Kentucky Distillers' Association

Brother’s Bond: A Bourbon “Bromance”

Actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder discovered their friendship and a mutual love of Bourbon on the set of “The Vampire Diaries” television series. Once the show ended, they decided to launch their own Bourbon brand, Brother’s Bond, and it’s become one of the fastest-growing new Bourbon brands on the market over the last 18 months. While Wesley’s acting career now has him portraying the iconic character of James T. Kirk on “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” Somerhalder is practically a full-time whiskey blender. The Bourbon “brothers” join us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, the Kentucky Bourbon Read More »

Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2022

August 17, 2022 – Six inductees will join the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame next month in the first induction ceremony since 2019. The honorees were announced today, including the late Stephen Thompson of Kentucky Artisan Distillery, this year’s recipient of the Parker Beam Lifetime Achievement Award. Thompson passed away last year at the age of 79 following an accident. “He’s another one that everyone misses,” said Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory. “He was such a resource and an advocate for the craft distilleries…he had almost an encyclopedic knowledge of production facilities and what to do, and if you Read More »

Islay Boys, Islay Whisky (Episode 964: August 7, 2022)

Scotland’s Isle of Islay is known for its distilleries, and construction will begin soon on the island’s 12th distillery near the shores of Laggan Bay. The Islay Boys, Donald MacKenzie and Mackay Smith, plan to build the new Laggan Bay Distillery across from Islay’s airport on the site of a former RAF World War II barracks. MacKenzie and Smith also own the island’s lone brewery, and plan to make Islay Ales part of the Laggan Bay development. We’ll catch up with Donald MacKenzie on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Kentucky’s Bourbon community is coming together again to help Read More »

Private Barrel Kentucky Bourbons in Legal Jeopardy

January 29, 2022 – Sales of “private selection” barrels by distillers in Kentucky have become popular choices for retailers, bars, restaurants, and even whiskey clubs. However, it turns out that those sales actually violate state liquor regulations in Kentucky, and perhaps even at the federal level. It’s not because sales by the barrel are specifically banned, but because the process of selecting those barrels violates a number of state regulations. Kentucky’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board enforces the state’s regulations, and has issued an advisory opinion to that effect, according to Kentucky Distillers Association president Eric Gregory. “Right now, the ABC Read More »

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Releases new field guide

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association Passport program for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® just got a MAJOR upgrade. A new Field Guide is packed full of valuable information about Kentucky’s treasured bourbon distilleries, travel distances from convenient home bases, and it will take you on a…

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